February 28, 2011- Namaste Monday...

     Lately, I have been getting back into a regular yoga routine at home to increase strength in my core muscles, tone up a bit, and for general stress relief and flexibility. There was a time when yoga was a huge part of my life.  Practicing regularly kept me grounded, helped me relax, provided me with a focus other than all the crazy stuff going on in my life at the time, and improved my overall health.  Unfortunately, I have fallen out of the habit of consistent yoga practice in the last year, so it is time to come back to it.
     If you have any experience with taking yoga classes, one of the greetings or salutations you will hear yoga teachers use frequently is “namaste,” which originates from India and is often translated as, “the light within me salutes the light within you.”  I like this.  I relish the thought of each of us having that light inside to share with others.  My boys and the children I work with every day show and share their lights freely with each other, laughing generously and with ease, sharing hugs and gestures of love with anyone who is open to accepting this love, and speaking the truth without any ulterior motives.  As we grow older, we get hurt, and we begin to hide and protect our light, keeping it to ourselves out of fear of someone trying to put it out, and we lose an element of genuiness because of this.  I miss this in people my age, particularly.  I miss a genuine smile or a kind word spoken simply because. I miss being able to say whatever comes to mind to whoever is around without fear of someone twisting my words or making it mean something that was never intended, so I’m declaring today, “Namaste Monday.” What does that mean? Well, for me, it means the light within me salutes the light within you as I move forward today striving to be as genuine, loving, kind, and honest as the God I serve. I choose to shine my light to the world, bringing peace and joy to those around me instead of contributing negatively to an already scary and suspicious world.  I challenge you to start your week with a “Namaste Monday” as well.  I bet you’ll find you’re much more content at the end of the day or week if you practice this simple concept of allowing yourself to be you, fully and genuinely, revealing your light to others through love, kindness, and positive thoughts...who knows, if you are willing to show your light to others, you may discover a few lights being shown back to you, which may light up your day, week, or world!   Who wants to miss out on that?!

February 27, 2011- Getting Along...

     In Sunday school this morning, we talked about the story of Esau and Jacob, twin brothers and children of Isaac and Rebekah. It was the story of the trick Jacob played on his brother and father by pretending to be his brother to receive the blessing of the first born from his aging father.  When Esau finds out what his brother did, it causes a rift between them for over two decades.  For my preschool, kindergarten, and first graders, the lesson to be learned from these brothers is about the importance of trying to get along. As usual, we started the lesson by linking concepts from the story to the children’s lives.  To the question, “do you ever NOT get along with your siblings or friends,” there was a unanimous head nod for “yes” around the half moon table where everyone sits during the lesson. To the next question, “what can you do to get along with others when you’ve had a problem with them,” the answers were simple, “We can say we’re sorry; we can go talk to them and try to work it out.”  To the final question, “why it is important to get along,” one of my first graders answered with unquestioning faith in what she was saying, “Because God wants us to.” 
     There are, of course, many reasons why getting along with the people we work, live, and spend our time with every day is important and can make our lives so much more pleasant than not getting along, but the bottom line for believers is that we do what we do because we love God, and we want to please Him.  He gave us life, saved us from our sins, blesses us, loves us unconditionally, and guides us to what’s best if we allow Him into our lives and ask Him to help us.  If He’s the only one I have to worry about pleasing every day, then maybe living a moral, upright, righteous life is as easy as doing things simply because God wants us to.  How can you go wrong in this? God has blessed me a thousand times more than what I could ever live up to or deserve, so the least I can do is follow and trust Him to continue to do what’s best for me and my family.  Life is what you make of it, and you can make it very, very complicated for yourself, or you can make it simple like a child’s answers to the big and important questions in life. 

February 26, 2011- My Beyonce Fiancé!

     My youngest child has his own language sometimes and this has resulted in us coming up with a list of “isms” that are all his own.  Tonight, we sat down to play a game of Spinner Dominos, and sometime during one of my turns, I asked my “fiancé” to pass me a domino from the “bone yard,” which is the reserve pile of dominos from which you choose when you don’t have one to play at that moment. Well, my son picked up on the “new name” I have for my sweetheart, but he sat quietly by and said nothing at first.  Later in the game, he spoke to my fiancé, calling him “Beyonce.” We all burst out laughing of course, realizing he had confused the words fiancé and Beyonce or just happened to hear it with a “b” instead of an “f.”  I’m not even sure he knows who Beyonce is, but he’s certainly never heard the term fiancé before, and this is typical for him. In fact, he still calls breakfast, “breafas.”  Some other fun “isms” attributed to him over the years are “packback” for backpack, “taste bucks” and “taste bugs” for taste buds, and “swimsoup” for swimsuit.  Often, I like to take these sayings and turn them into children’s stories about my boys, which are really fun to write.  Mostly, they are stories for me and for my boys to someday read about what they were like as children. I can hardly remember what I was like, but it comes back to me when I watch a home video my dad made or a funny story is relayed back to me by my brothers, and I don’t want to forget those funny, smart, and silly moments for my boys. I want them to have a way to carry their family traditions and upbringing with them and be able to share stories with their friends and future families. Storytelling is such a bonding experience. I wish I was better at telling stories. Although I figure if I can even record a minute bit of the humor, wit, or feeling of those “snapshots in time” of their lives as kids, of our family experiences together, then I believe I will have provided them with something meaningful to have with them forever. I want them to know that I felt the little things they did to brighten my life were enough to remember and write down, so they will comprehend how extraordinary and loved they were and are by their family!   

February 25, 2011- Alabama Coast Memories...

     My parents recently got back together after over two decades of being divorced and moved back to our family's home town in North Alabama. During a majority of their time apart, my mom lived on the southern coast away from everything and everyone she had known before. It was a humongous step for her to leave the small town she had been a part of since young adulthood, but it was important for her to find herself and to grow spiritually, and God led her to focus on that healing and growth by the sand and water of the Gulf of Mexico.  She still owns a fabulous little 2 story condo there, although it has been on the market for quite some time in an economy that doesn't allow many of us to be able to afford the purchase of a new home, and so my dad has been going down with her periodically to make checks on the place and to enjoy the ocean with her until it sells. I was hoping to go down there in a few weeks with my boys when we are in Alabama for my son's surgery and recovery, but unfortunately for me and fortunately for them, they finally had a bite from a prospective buyer. Upon hearing the news today that the place may be sold by the end of March, memories of our good times there flooded back to me. 
     Even my mom has mixed feelings about letting it go because it was as she called it, "a place of refuge" for her during the challenging years after the divorce and raising the last of her children (she didn't move until we had all grown up and graduated high school and college). When she described it as a place of refuge for herself, I realized it had been one for me too, in a sense.  For most of my years on the island, my mom's condo on the coast was the place I went "home" to, both on my own and later, with my babies.  It was my home away from home, the place where I could be myself the most, the corner of the world where I went to talk out life's difficulties with my mom face to face (who also happens to be one of my best friends), where I could truly relax like nowhere else, and the place where I felt God's peace surrounding me like a warm, soft blanket.  The spiritual growth that occurred in my mom over the years in that house radiated out of the furniture I sat and sometimes slept on where she did many of her daily devotionals; it permeated the walls and provided me with a sense of protection I'd never known, like an invisible shield around me.  God's peace was there with her, and I so desperately wanted what she had without even realizing what it was at the moment.
     I have that peace in my life now, and so I can see why her home there meant so much to me.  I understand that it's not the home itself which provided the peace, but it will always be symbolic for me of that haven of peace we all want to get to, but often have to go through so much to reach it.  My mom was my rock and my spiritual mentor and encourager through some dark years in my life, and her condo on the coast was my place of refuge and rest from my spiritual and personal struggles, and apparently it was a peaceful place for my babies as well. They love her "beach house" and still talk about it often. When we visit, they run in and up the stairs to their "room" as if they were just there yesterday, and that's what a home is, somewhere that peace, comfort, and security abound, where you can go to cry, laugh, love, and even vent your frustrations, knowing that there will always be arms of love reaching out to hold you and willing ears ready to listen when you need to talk.
     My mom's coastal retreat has so many good and precious memories for me, too many to list here as a matter of fact, but I wanted to at least pay a little homage to it in writing before moving on with my mom to a new place where we can make new memories together. After all, the memories do not mean so much because of the actual places they happened; they mean so much because of the wonderful people who inhabited those places at the time and made memories with us.  So, mom, even though it's not easy to let go of your Alabama coast condo that has meant so much to our family, I look forward to helping you and dad make your new home just as much of a retreat, refuge, and haven full of God's peace for the future!

February 24, 2011- “Go Fish” Standbys!

     In a short while, my youngest son will take off to the states with his dad for cataract surgery. My oldest son will stay here with me and continue his usual school and after school extracurricular activities. I’ll have three full weeks of one on one time with my first born, and that’s a rarity. I had a taste of what this was like when my baby had to go to Hawaii for a week to have the doctors diagnose the cataract, but at that time, I never would have dreamed he would have to go away again for 7 weeks in order to have it taken care of. I look forward to the time I’ll have with my 9 year old, but I hate not being able to be there for a little one when he goes into and comes out of the actual surgery. The other negative is that I don’t get to spend that same one on one time with my baby because when I leave for the states to be with him, my oldest is coming with me. 
     Tonight, I had a chance to make up for some of the lost time I’ll have with my little bit because big brother went to play with a friend after school and then had Boy Scouts in the evening.  Immediately, when little brother found out he would be home without big brother, he asked, “What are we going to do?”  He is so used to having a built in playmate at all times that he almost panics when he’s not around.  I responded, “Well, we could play a game.”  “What games do you have?”  “Hmmm...there’s always ‘Go Fish’ or ‘Old Maid,’” These two “been around forever” card games have been our standby for years in the terminal on Kwaj, waiting around for the Roi plane, on the airplane on the way back to the states, in the rooms on Roi when they were bored with their usual activities, and even in the snack bar, waiting for our food, where my fiancé joked around with friends that he’s never had the experience of playing “Go Fish” in a bar before (the snack bar on Roi doubles as the adult bar later in the evening).  Much to my surprise, my son enthusiastically responded to my suggestion with “Yeah, I haven’t played that in a long time.”  Thinking back, I guess we haven’t.
     So, as soon as we got home, the questioning began, “when are we going to play, mom?” “Where are the cards, mom?” “We need to have dinner first and after your brother goes to boy scouts, we’ll play.”  Finally, the time came, and I took the cards out, went upstairs, and we relaxed on the bed to play.  After several games of “Go Fish” and mom losing, we switched to “Old Maid,” and after only a couple of rounds of that, we went to “Uno.”  I finally cut us off after over an hour of play.  It was almost time for big brother to come home.  What amazes me is how these games never seem to get old for the boys.  They are always up for playing them and can do so over and over and over again without tiring of them. And what I find most fascinating about this “phenomenon” is that these are the same simple, non-electronic or technical forms of entertainment that I enjoyed as a child. Hmmm....I guess certain aspects of being a kid don’t change that much after all, and sometimes that’s what brings adults and their children together. I may not be as good at operating a game console and playing “Megamind” or “Star Wars” with the boys because I never really did that as a kid, but there’s plenty of other ways to relate if we take a moment to remember what we enjoyed as a child and share it with our kids. After all, we’ll always have those old “Go Fish” standbys to enjoy life together, no matter how old or how young we are.    

February 23, 2011- Growing “Old” Pains...

     I know, I know. I’m 36 years old. Am I really going to grip about the pains of getting older in this blog? Yes, I’m afraid I am because right now my body aches all over from doing things I used to do all the time without the slightest tinge of discomfort.  Not so long ago, I could “take off” six months from my regular exercise routine and run right back into it in just a couple of three miles loops around the island.  Last week, after my very decadent vacation, I knew I needed to start getting back into shape, so I began with a very light yoga and running regiment. I ran on Wednesday, feeling not up to my usual lighter jogging self, but it was okay. On Thursday, I did some yoga and then running again on Friday (this time not without some extra effort, which is typical for my second run back into the routine). On Saturday, I took a day off, then did yoga again on Sunday.  Monday was to start the week off right with another run, but it was horrible. Within the first 20 minutes, I was ready to go back home, but I pushed through, walking more than normal, and made it home for dinner before it was too late.  Because the run was so tough on Monday, I decided to take another break on Tuesday. Today was one full week, and I don’t think I over did it because I only exercised lightly to moderately 5 days out of seven, so it’s not like I threw myself into a marathon training mode cold turkey!
     I started week 2 this evening with another run, and I think I’ve got lead poisoning because my legs felt so heavy; in fact, my whole body felt heavy! I could barely jog for 5-10 minutes before I had to stop and take a walking break.  Man, this is embarrassing! I can only figure that I’ve hit that wall where my body does not bounce back as easily as it used to, and it’s more important now that I keep up a light to moderate routine all year long rather than in sputters and spurts because my older body cannot handle it anymore.  Hopefully, tomorrow or especially Friday, when I am scheduled to run again, will be better. Even if it’s not, I guess it’s a fact I’ll have to find a way to accept one way or another and possibly find a new, less painful way to stay in shape. After all, it’s all just part of the growing “older” pains, right?!

February 22, 2011- Tuesday Blues...

     I don’t want you to think from the title of this day’s blog entry that today is not filled with as many blessings as yesterday, but it certainly comes with its share of my very own personal “blues” with the departure of my fiancé back to Roi and knowing my youngest son is heading to the states for one full week of doctor’s appointments, then eye surgery and six weeks of recovery in less than a week now, and I won’t be able to be with him until half way through this process.  There were lots of questions from my little one last night before bed about the surgery and about how it would go, so I answered his questions to the best of my knowledge and ability, and we finished up doing the only other thing we could do to give us some additional peace about his upcoming journey to better sight; we prayed. 
     None of us really have any control over our lives or the events that happen. We never have all the answers to our questions. In the end, we have two choices about this lack of control. We can fret about it all day long or we can let it go. The way I let it go is to give it to God in prayer.  I feel better knowing someone as extraordinary as Him is in control, and heck, He knows what’s best for my son and me anyway, so what better entity to hand over my burdens and my Tuesday blues to today!

February 21, 2011- Monday Blessings...

     Today, I count my blessings, which started with the arrival of my fiancé from Roi.  He couldn’t come down earlier in the weekend because he had to work on Sunday, and since it was a three day weekend, I asked him to at least come down for one night as we all missed him so much! I never tire of spending time with him, even though we mostly hung out with the kids all day and attempted to at least watch one movie without 15 million kid interruptions. :-)  The second blessing is the blessing of the grill and my grill master extraordinaire. I headed to the store after he arrived and bought some burger making ingredients, corn on the cob, and fries. After a late lunch and making up the burgers, we were ready to rock the grill. It’s been one of the best housewarming gifts ever, a charcoal grill which is lit using a propane tank to get the charcoal going faster, but still provides that charcoal flavor. We use it almost every weekend, and the meals always turn out fantastic. Other blessings today are my home, my job, my safe warm island lifestyle, and last but certainly not least, my two sweet little boys, who are not so little anymore.
     The newest experience I’ve had with my children since moving into a home they can stay in with me is the competition now with their friends and active lifestyle, which takes them away from me again. When I had no place where they could stay with me, I had to take them to Roi and rent rooms. No children live on Roi, and there’s not a lot of family oriented events going on there, so the time we had was 24/7, and quality time was key to making those weekends work.  There times were very important to me because I didn’t get evenings with them or the benefit of providing them a home to relax in with mom after school and on weekends. Now, both of them are starting to spend more time out of the house on the weekends with friends and such than in, so I am trying more than ever to make the most of the time we do have all together.  It’s harder to do here with all the other distractions for them, and I know it’s bound to happen some day (that they choose to spend more time with peers than mom), and because of this I am thankful for the time I had with them during my “gypsy” period. Those three years provided me with more quality time with my boys than I had in the first 3-5 years of their lives living at home with them when I was still married to their dad.
     Thanks to my “gypsy period” and my then boyfriend, the people and island of Roi-Namur (our getaway place), and my BQ (Bachelor Quarters) where the boys could not go, I was not given the time or choice to allow life to pass me by or for them to “grow up before I knew it,” and I did all the things so many parents never get around to doing with their children because life gets so busy and you end up spending the weekends cleaning and taking care of business while the kids watch TV or play with friends at home. Those choices were taken away from me at that time, but I certainly don’t regret it, even though it was more than challenging. Because of the last 3 years, I’m more ready than some moms to allow my boys their independence now and at a fairly young age simply because I had them only part time for that particular time of their very young lives and whatever control I felt I needed over them I had to let go of. Because of those experiences, I also know how to slow down and spend that quality time with them as needed because I’ve had so much practice at figuring out what that time means and consists of for us. 
     That said, I will always be thankful for the blessings of making Kung Fu Panda Rice Krispie treats and salt water taffy, working through a book of kids’ science experiments in one weekend, including the well known vinegar volcano, camping out at the beach shack and having relay races in the pool, snorkeling in the Japanese pools and in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and fishing off the piers and in the “secret spot,” and going to the snack bar for my son’s favorite mozzarella sticks. This doesn’t even include the geocaching and treasure hunts, which are some of my fondest memories of our “gypsy days” on Roi.  Thank you, fiancé, for all the work you put into making our weekends spectacular and thank you, Roi Rats, for making us always feel so welcome into your world.  This lazy Monday, I count my blessings, which are more than I could ever deserve... 

February 20- 2011- Benefits of a Child like Faith!

     It’s Sunday here in the islands and for me, it’s back to the weekend routine, beginning with teaching the pre-school through first grade Sunday School class at the Island Memorial Chapel.  It felt good to be back in class with the kids.  Even though some Sundays I just want to stay in bed and not have to go anywhere (especially since our Sunday comes right after a work day instead of after a weekend day like everyone else in the world), I am always blessed by the precious hearts and minds God has charged me with teaching about Him each week.  They help me keep my faith childlike by reminding me what that means through their words and actions in class. 
     I am amazed at their unquestioning trust in the words of God and faith in the stories of the Bible.  The best part is that there’s no judgment of each other; there’s no hypocritical behavior because they haven’t learned how to be anything less than completely honest and genuine yet.  So many of God’s genuine and wonderful children are turned off to church and to getting to know more about God as they grow into adulthood because of hypocritical, extreme Christians who do not seem to comprehend that being a child of God means loving everyone the way He does.  God does not push Himself on anyone.  He simply loves them to the point that they cannot help but come to Him and the peace He provides.  Why do many churches and church goers feel they have to push God on others?  Why do some believe they have to judge non-believers or even just non church-goers and point out their judgment in order to “win” them over to a higher power?
     A long time ago I had to learn to not let those who insist on judging me affect my walk with God and my faith. I had to learn to lean only on God, remembering that He is the only one I need to answer to, and if I know I am right with Him, that’s all that really matters, not what anyone else thinks or believes about me.  With that understanding, I attempt to treat others with that same respect and unconditional love.  I am not perfect in my walk as no human being is, but I do know this: only God fully knows a person’s heart, and He has tasked me with one thing and one thing alone, loving others and treating them with the same kindness and grace He always affords to me.
     To be honest, having this one task and no more, takes so much pressure off of me.  I don’t want God’s job. I don’t want to be the final judge over everyone’s actions. I just want to enjoy the life God had blessed me with and live it to the fullest with His peace and guidance along the way.  That’s how the kids in my Sunday school live, enjoying every little thing in life from “popcorn parties” and “munching math,” which are two of the most exciting events at school in my first grader’s life right now, to loving their parents, siblings, family, and friends unconditionally, even when we get upset with each other, don’t treat each other right, make mistakes. Children love you anyway, no judgment, no criticism.  I learn more from the kids in my Sunday school class each week than my little friends will ever know, and all I can do is hope and pray that God will bless them with a child like faith for the rest of their lives, so they can truly live life to the fullest and show others the wonder of a healthy relationship with God simply by how they live, not by what they try to make others believe and certainly not by judging them and making them feel less than worthy of God’s amazing love. 
 

February 19, 2011- Lingering Jet Lag...

     I couldn’t believe I was able to stay up all day on Tuesday when we arrived back from Honolulu to Kwajalein. Generally, with only 4 hours sleep, I would have conked out on the couch early in the evening or even taken a mid afternoon nap when the boys went back to school, but I didn’t. I stayed busy catching up around the house and went to bed at my normal time.  I continued to be amazed at how I was able to open the center at work twice this week, including today, at 6:45, then work until closing at 5:30 the previous day, meaning I was the last one out and first one in yesterday and today. Well, I know what happened now. My adrenaline at being back and focused on catching up with my boys, job, and home kept me going because tonight, I am flat exhausted! The lingering jet lag has caught up with me. I could barely get back up off the bed to tuck the boys in.  It will be good to rest up over the 3 day weekend and finally get the jet leg out of my system! So, I must bid you adieu and say, in the words of the Von Trapp family from the Sound of Music, “good night, farewell, Auf wiedersehen, goodbye...”

February 18, 2011- Sunset Running...

     I left the house a little later than usual for my run around the island.  With music in my ears and more energy than I expected, I round the corner by the dock security checkpoint (DSC) approximately halfway through my 3 mile route, skirt the tennis courts where my oldest son is busy doing tennis drills with his team, and head onto the dirt road next to the shore of the lagoon.  It was around 7:15, and the sun generally sets around 6:45, so I expected to be running in the dark for the last half of the run since I didn’t leave until closer to 7.  However, I was pleasantly surprised to discover my path was lit more than enough to stay on track, and as I looked to my left out on the water, I relished in the last remains of one of our famous island sunsets.  Except for friendships and the ease of lifestyle here on the island, watching the sunset on the lagoon is one of the most highly missed parts of life for those who have moved on.  On any given night, you can find several couples and groups of people sitting on benches on in beach chairs and under pavilions along the lagoon enjoying the final rays of the day. Seeing this unexpectedly colorful last couple of minutes of the sun’s descent into the sea made me think about the day I’ll leave it all behind. 
     Having being on island almost 14 full years now, I am most certainly at the tail end of my years here instead of the beginning or middle, and leaving the atoll will be a huge change. How will I adjust to living without a perfect year round running climate? How will I feel about leaving the spectacular blue green water that has surrounded me for so long and to which I have run to numerous times tossing my prayers, pains, and joys into because it was consistent and always there for me, never asking for anything in return?  These are questions I don’t have the answers to, but like all the other unanswerable questions in my life, I know when I leave, it will be for the right reasons and at the right time and that I will have accomplished all that I hoped for and more while here. I’ve truly enjoyed the island as well as experienced its ugly side, but I have, without a doubt, come out all the better for it, gaining perspective from both ends of the spectrum concerning life here and in the wider world. I’m sure there will be some anxious moments on that last day, but there will also be excitement for the new journey ahead, just as I have felt for my friends year after year upon their departures for new adventures in “the real world.”     

February 17, 2011- Off Again...

     If you have been keeping up with my blog over the past few months, you may remember doctors finding a congenital cataract in my youngest son’s left eye which has made him almost completely blind on that side. Well, all the details for doctor’s appointments and surgery have been set up, and I’m off again to help my son on the backside of recovery. Flights were finalized today, and my son will be having surgery the first week of March to remove the offending cataract and put in a corrective lens to help him see something more out of that eye.  He is, of course, very nervous and does not want to go anymore, but it needs to be taken care of.  He tells me that me does not need to see out of that eye because he can see just fine with the other one, and he can. His reading has done nothing but improve all year long, and he plays in sports and games with his friends outside and in without any trouble. It’s quite amazing how he has adapted without one complaint or problem.  But, as parents, you want to give you child every opportunity in the world to succeed. Right now, his receptors appear to still be working despite the cataract. Eventually, if not removed, they will go dead, and he will be permanently blind in that eye, so why not fix it while there is still time? The doctor contacted in Alabama back where his grandparents reside is renowned for his work with children’s eyes, so that’s the good news. The only down side is that he will have to be gone six weeks, missing six weeks of school and his life here to make sure his recovery is successful. The doctor wants to check his eye every week for six weeks, and then have a final follow up before he will allow him to come back to the island.  So, his dad and I as well as the grandparents are splitting their time with my son, so we can each be there for him at some point during the surgery and recovery process. He will leave at the end of this month, and I’ll take off at the end of next month.  Giving me a little more than month to catch up and work ahead again before the next brief trip.  I’m glad it is all going to be taken care of, but I am also anxious to see my son through his first major surgery, hopefully the last, within his lifetime. 

February 16, 2011- First Day Back...

     It wasn’t as hectic as I thought it would be to get back into and catch up at work today.  It was good to be productive in my chosen profession again.  It was wonderful to see all my colleagues as I do enjoy spending my days with them.  It was hard to see my fiancé head back to his home on Roi. It was hard to let my boys go back to their dad’s for the night after spending only a bit more than 24 hours with them since we’ve been on island. It has been very hard to get used to the extremely slow and quirky dial-up internet connection and old personal computer I have here on the island. :-) Tomorrow, I’m sure I’ll discover that all the things I had on my list for after my return will need to be done in the next week as February is almost over, but that’s tomorrow, and tomorrow has enough worries of its own, so there’s no need to burden my brain with them today!  

February 15, 2011- Home Sweet Home...

     It’s back to work tomorrow, but there’s plenty to take care of here before I dive back in there.  Laundry, mail pick up, groceries, and most importantly, spending time catching up with my precious babies! It was so good to see my sons ride up on their bikes for lunch when we arrived at the house.  Hugs all around, I didn’t want to let go! Somehow, I managed to stay busy and keep my self awake after only 4 hours of sleep the night before until around 8 pm, and then I started drifting off in front of the TV in bed.  From that spot, I directed the kids on finishing up homework, getting ready for bed, and dragged myself back up to say prayers and sing my usual songs to them, and then it was right back to bed. No blogging for me last night...sleep took over!

February 14, 2011- The Shortest Valentine’s Day Ever!

     Valentine’s Day started for me at 3 am when the clock radio alarm woke me up in Hawaii to get up for our flight back home.  It ended sometime not long before we arrived in Majuro, the capital island of the Marshall Islands, at 8 in the morning on February 15, 2011.  We crossed the International Date Line, and all of a sudden, the day was sucked into the time warp that is simply an imaginary line somewhere in the Pacific Ocean.  It was actually around 10 am Hawaii time as the time changes by another couple of hours when we hit the Marshalls, so technically, February 14 lasted exactly 7 hours for my fiancé and me.  So, we went from our 36 hour day that we gained on the way to Oregon to a 7 hour day going back.  Adding 7 to 36 amounting to 43, and I guess that means we really only lost 5 hours of awake time between Feb. 2^nd and Feb. 15^th into the black hole

of the date line because where we should have had 2 full days coming back, we only experienced 7 hours of one, but we gained back almost all of that time be reliving Groundhog dog on Feb. 2^nd both in Kwajalein and Oregon.  Weird, huh?  Are you thoroughly confused yet?  At any rate, hope you had a good Valentine’s Day! 

February 13, 2011- Travel Day

     It was not a 36 hour day this time, but it was a long day of nothing but airplanes and sitting in cramped spaces for hours at a time.  It was travel day.  We had a last, light breakfast at the hotel, said our goodbyes to the breakfast host who had been so fantastic to us all week, and headed to the airport around 8 am riding on the Canada line, which is the “subway” system for Vancouver.  A short 25 minute ride later, we were there, although we were very sad to be ending our trip. The people of Vancouver were all so wonderful to us from the receptionists at the hotel who loved to chat with us about the games we attended, the host at the hockey game who brought us mugs, stickers, and so forth just because we were fans who had traveled from abroad to see the Canucks, to the awesome service we had at restaurants, and the passerbyers on the street who helped us with directions, etc...What a great city! I can’t wait to take my boys there some day to share it with them.  But, it’s time to get back, so we hopped our first plane to Los Angeles at 10:30 am, then had a couple of hours to get a bite to eat and stretch our legs before the final flight leaving at 4:30 pm to Honolulu, Hawaii for the night.  When we finally arrived in Hawaii at 8 pm, we were hungry again, so we had our final bite around 10 pm, showers, and bed at the airport hotel around 11 pm.  Unfortunately, it would be a short night. We have to get up at 3 am to catch our next island hopper flight boarding around 5 am.  Yikes! I guess 4 hours sleep is better than nothing. 

February 12, 2011-Lazy, Rainy Last Day...

     The rain continued on our last full day in Vancouver, so we took another stroll through the city, albeit a little wetter this time (so wet, in fact, I had to stop and purchase an umbrella). Today, we decided to check out China Town.  It was a fascinating look for me at how a whole other country can set itself up and reside within a small section of a large city. I can see how the Chinese of Vancouver could literally settle in at China town and never have to be without the comforts of their home language, foods, shopping, and lifestyle for the most part.  The funny thing is that a lot of the things being sold in the indoor markets we browsed are the same things I find when I shop on Ebeye in the Marshall Islands.  With the ease of travel these days and technology, the world really is getting smaller and smaller.  So much is imported from Asian countries to the islands, but I never really thought about how far it has come and how similar it would be to what I might find in China before now.  I consider many of the things sold on Ebeye third world type stuff, and I know next to nothing about China, but I can only assume they have their third world elements as well with so many people crammed into their country.  Even though I still know next to nothing about China, visiting China Town was a bit of an immersion experience in terms of the smells and sounds of their world.  The grocery store had bins of food items, spices, meats, etc...that I could not identify due to the  signs written only in Chinese, and the places that did speak English had to advertise it on their storefronts because otherwise, you can assume you would have to speak the native language to get around in this part of Canada.
      After our excursion to "China," we headed back toward the hotel, interested in finding a good, sit down Chinese restaurant on the edge of town to have lunch only to end up on the other end of the spectrum in terms of food choices.  One of the storefronts we passed looked much more upper class than all the others we had been passing since we left China Town, and upon closer inspection, I noticed words I recognized. It said, "The Dirty Apron."  This is a well known cooking school and small specialized grocery shop that we had tried to book a couples cooking class at before arriving in Vancouver. Because the class was full, we never made it to the actual deli and cooking school because we had no reason to go, and here it was, right near our hotel! We discovered that they sold sandwiches, soups, and curries, so we headed in for a bite.  The garbanzo bean, carrot, and curry salad I had was divine, and we will definitely book a cooking class plenty of time in advance before our next visit to Vancouver.  We also had a delicious sandwich with anchovy sauce (which I never would have thought I would like) and a squash curry.  Yum, yum! We had a nice chat about weddings, the Marshall Islands, and Vancouver with a couple of young ladies sitting at our table, and then it was time to head back out in the rain.  Another late afternoon movie and exciting last hockey game, and the our evening came to a close.  Tomorrow is travel day.  Time to pack and head back to our life in the islands!

February 11, 2011- City Life...

     Today was a free day, free to do whatever we wanted as we had no specific plans. So, what did we do? We lived the life of big city dwellers, cruising through the city at a fast clip, we stopped first at a local pizza place which touted itself as "the best pizza in town." We ordered and stood by the one open stool and shared a slice of mushroom and pepperoni pizza to curb our appetites as we had slept in late and missed our hot hotel breakfast.  It was the first rainy day we've had here, but we seemed to be able to miss anything but the slightest showers between our indoor stops. Next, we moved on to a famous local Sushi place called ZeroOneSushi for an 11 piece California combination with one of my favorite, tamago, which is rice and egg sushi (the egg is scrambled with sugar and pressed into a rectangular patty, and place on top of the rice with a strip of seaweed tying it all together), along with 6 traditional California rolls, and 4 pieces of sashimi type sushi, one made with snapper, one with shrimp, one with tuna, and one with salmon.  It was delicious.  Both of these places were closely related to street vendors as they were small stop in and go restaurants not meant to sit, relax, and be served in.  We had wanted to have just a street vendor food sampling day, but this will probably have to do as our time is running short now.
     As the weather was still quite cold and the showers were hitting us on and off, we decided it was a good mall walking day, so we headed back to the Pacific Centre we had visited the first day in Vancouver when we were shopping for warmer clothes.  We marveled at all the various kitchen and cookware there in the Hudson's Bay company, bought some extra large chocolate bars for the boys for Valentine's and one for ourselves to enjoy later with the bottle of Canadian wine we discovered at the little wine cellar within the store.  We thought about catching a movie in a real theater as this is a missed cultural experience for us on the island, but in the end, we decided to head back to the room to watch a movie from the hotel's choices. It was cheaper that way anyway.  Before making it there though, we stopped for an early dinner at The Shore Club. We were a little under dressed for this fine dining experience, but the exuberant host clearly wanted out business and happily seated us in the more comfortable and less formal lounge area, which is more our style anyway. :)  We enjoyed a scrumptious lobster bisque soup and a plate of salt and vinegar french fries for starters, then went on to main dishes of Macadamia encrusted halibut and maple glazed salmon, which was more than enough for us.  Then, it was home to relax in the warm, dry atmosphere of our home for the last week, which just happened to be right around the corner from our last stop.  Oh, I think I could get used to the city life, if only I could afford it for more than a week!

February 10, 2011-Strolling Through Stanley Park...

     A short bus ride down W. Georgia Street from our hotel in Vancouver dropped us off just a few steps from the city's 1000 acre evergreen city respite of Stanley Park. It was a beautiful morning with the sun shining down to attempt to heat its warm blooded visitors, such as my fiance and me.  Our first stop on our stroll was to the Vancouver Aquarium as we never miss a chance to visit our underwater friends wherever we travel on vacation or otherwise.  After moving through the tropical zone where we were able to actually put a name to the various corals and fish we often see when diving in the Marshalls, we headed out to the Beluga show, where the aquarium's 3 white Beluga whales showed their smarts in exchange for fish from the trainers.  Next, we headed back inside to see various types of jellys and other unusual fish such as ones that put out electrical currents to communicate and others that light up like fireflies underwater.
      One of the highlights of the day was seeing our first 4D show in the aquarium's 4D theater.  The Planet Earth movie, Shallow Seas, played as we viewed it through our stylish red 3D glasses and felt the spray of the ocean and the tickle of its wildlife in this immersive experience.  Surprisingly, one of the best animals displays of the day happened right after the dolphin show.  Resident seagulls begin hanging around the dolphin pool during the show hoping for some fish, and they followed the dolphins into their small holding area when they were done performing. From there, a couple of the dolphins began to play with the seagulls, tempting them to reach for the fish they were regurgitating and tossing up and out of their mouths and within the gulls' grasp, but then catching the fish again before the gulls could actually get it.  This went on for at least an hour after the show, with the gulls getting irritated and squawking at the dolphins, and the dolphins occasionally talking back or spraying back at the gulls. Don't worry, the gulls did eventually get some food from the dolphins, but they didn't make it an easy catch.  Apparently, this is a regular "after show" every day at the aquarium, so the gulls know what they are getting into. :)  After making sure we checked out everything we had time for inside and out, we were getting hungry, so it was time for a late lunch.
    As we searched for a sushi place that popped up on the GPS as being close by the park, we discovered instead a Kintara Ramen Noodle joint. It was very much a "hole in the wall" local restaurant, but packed to the gills the whole time we were there, and I guess we were pretty lucky to be seated right away.  Looking at reviews of the place afterwards, there were a few complaints about the crowded atmosphere, but the ramen was wonderful! We enjoyed every bite and thought the service was excellent. We knew it was a local place and reviewed it in our minds as just that, one of those fabulous hole in the wall places where the food and service keeps drawing you back!  By the time we finished it was almost 4 pm, so a brisk 25 minute walk later, and we were back at the hotel to rest up and change for our dinner reservations at 7 pm.
     Our one fine dining splurge for this trip was right in the middle of Stanley Park at the Fish House Restaurant. In a lovely old building, originally designed as a sports pavilion and club house in 1930, we dined on sun dried tomato and cauliflower soup, a poached pear and spinach salad with candied walnuts and goat cheese that was melt in your mouth wonderful, as well as the mixed fish grill and mushrooms pave for mains.  The service was more than excellent with a broad smiled waiter who pampered us all night, bringing us samples of their salmon wrapped in Gruyere cheese with a white Wasabi and black sesame sauce on top and raspberry sorbet for dessert.  The restaurant is also famous for their lobster oil, which makes a light and delicious dip for bread when paired with a balsamic vinegar.  It was all definitely worth the price, and we enjoyed it immensely.  I can't imagine what is must be like to dine that way every day. As for me, I'm thankful that I can't and don't because it makes the occasional experiences with this exquisite type of food and dining all the more appreciated and tasteful! Only a couple of more days left before it's back to the islands, but I will continue to relish each moment with my new fiancee on my first trip to Canada.

February 9, 2011-Granville Island

     Our continuing tour of Vancouver took us to Granville Island today. A short bus ride across the bridge, and we were there.  It's mostly an artists' community today including rows and rows of side by side galleries along with the wonderful indoor market and plenty of other kitchy, upscale, and eclectic shopping opportunities.  There's a brewery there too, and several restaurants begging to be tried.  We walked around checking out all the goodies, particularly in the market where we purchased some Thistle, Creamed, and Raspberry and Blueberry Honey from a seller for the Chilliwack River Valley Natural Honey company, and we learned a little about the history of the island. It was formally just a couple of sandbars under a bridge, but was dredged, filled, and built up and into an industrial island in the early 1900's. It is still home to the Ocean company (a cement and construction supply company), but most of the other industries have long departed the island, which is obvious when wandering across all the transport rails built into the cobblestone streets where parking spaces and walkways now rule. In the late 1970's, it was transformed into a people friendly public space, as part of a redevelopment project for the area when the industrial need for the space grew nonexistent as part of the surrounding Vancouver area. It is now one of the top spots for locals and visitors alike.  The time went by too fast as it has been doing all week, and before we were aware, it was time to make our 3 pm reservation for the Dockside Restaurant. I was so full after the tomato bisque soup and chicken quesadilla, and my fiance's burger was one of the best we've ever shared. We had originally hoped to have an early dinner there and try out that menu; unfortunately, it was booked this evening for a function, so that was not possible, but for a yummy, well prepared lunch overlooking the dock, it was everything we hoped for and more.  Hopping a bus back to the hotel, it was time to relax a bit before our second hockey game of the week. We were so excited to be back at the Rogers Arena once again, although we were a bit nervous for our Canucks. The Anaheim Ducks have been doing really well and proved to be a challenge for our team tonight. They lost by one, but put in a fantastic effort to pull it out in the end. Either way, win or lose, we enjoyed watching these amazing athletes in person.  After all, we are not simply fair weather fans! More to come tomorrow as we get ready to check out Stanley Park and enjoy some Fondue...

February 8, 2011- Treetop Walking...

     Today, we decided to attempt to navigate the Vancouver public transportation system and make our way up to one of the top tourist attractions in the city, the Capilano Suspension Bridge.  Since neither of us grew up in or have spent more than a little vacation time in a large spread out city, figuring out bus schedules is always a bit of a conundrum for us.  We have navigated them together in Hawaii, Portland, and Guam, but those are small places compared to Metro Vancouver, which is the third largest metropolitan area in Canada, supporting a population of 2.1 million as of the census in 2006. We prefer to take advantage of the public transportation system while traveling because it's less expensive than taking taxis or renting a car everywhere, and it makes you feel a little more like a local, traveling as they do.  Thankfully, after spreading out our bus route map next to several different bus stops, a kind Vancouver resident directed us to the other side of the street and success!
     Once in the city of Capilano, we still had trouble figuring out how to get up the mountain to the bridge, so we took a break for some coffee at the local mall and decided to take a walk through the city back toward the direction of the bridge. It was a beautiful sunny day, and it felt slightly warmer there, even though we were in North Vancouver where it should have been cooler.  The more we walked, the more signs we saw for the bridge, so we got out the GPS and found out we were only about a mile away from the attraction we were seeking. It was such a pretty day, and we were enjoying our "walk about" in the city so much, we just kept walking. At a gas station rest stop on the way, we met the nicest Malaysian Vancouver resident who loved chatting with us about Oregon, and offered us free coffee if we stopped back by to chat later. :) We enjoyed the talk too and felt bad that we most likely would not make it that way again on the way home.
     A final brisk walk up the mountain, and we were there. We had a bite to eat as we hadn't had anything except coffee since our big hotel breakfast that morning before taking our journey across the bridge and through the Douglas Fir tree tops adventure, which was all part of the tourist experience.  It was fun, even if the prices were a bit touristy too. We understood why they charged so much because it couldn't be cheap to make all those wood and wire bridges 100 feet above the ground and around the trees as well as the cost of keeping up the suspension bridge itself. While walking across, I wished the boys were with us. I could see them having a blast bouncing across it and checking out the squirrels, bugs, and other elements of nature they always seem to find before we do, being they are lower to the ground and more attuned to the little things we tend to take advantage and overlook as we grow older. On the way home, we decided to grab a bus all the way back as the chill in the air was only getting more intense as evening set in. Upon arriving and relaxing for a bit, it was time for dinner, but this time we stayed close, trying out the hotel sports bar and grill with an appetizer of wings, then main dishes of Margharita pizza and a California Chicken Sandwich with yam fries on the side. It was the perfect comfort food after a chilly day "hiking" to and through the tree tops of North Vancouver!  


    

February 7, 2011- Hockey Fever!

     I am astounded at how much the people of Vancouver love their Canucks! Tonight, I attended my first professional (NHL) hockey game ever, and it was AWESOME! It was also my birthday, and we started out with a very filling breakfast, which was part of our hotel package at the St. Regis, the only hotel that I've ever stayed in that has free worldwide long distance service, perfect for staying in touch with my sweet  babies back on the island, and then we were off to shop for some warm weather gear. It's been in the upper 30's and 40's Fahrenheit (or between 3-8 degrees Celsius), which is weather I haven't experienced for 4-5 years now, so we wanted to make sure we had what we needed to explore the city and get some exercise outdoors.  After shopping, we visited the Vancouver Library, which looks like Canada's version of Rome's Coliseum, and we had some speciality coffees, carrot cake, and banana bread (my birthday cake for the day). While there, a man sitting caty corner from us asked if we were waiting to see the hockey game that night.  We didn't even have any Canucks paraphernalia on, so this was a surprise. He said a lot of people go there for coffee before the game. Hmmm....I didn't know coffee was the chosen drink of a die hard hockey fan. :)  After warming up with our coffee (which I received free since it was my birthday) and checking out some young artists' works displayed around the outside windows of the partially indoor section of the library, we stopped at a local restaurant for a bite to eat before heading to the Rogers Arena.
     We wanted to get there early, so we could buy some jerseys to wear, but apparently everyone else wanted to get there early too. There were lines wrapped from the entrance down the stairs and around before they had even opened the doors. Once inside, the fan store was packed for the entire hour before the game.  It was two Canadian teams, Vancouver Canucks and the Ottawa Senators.  What an exciting game! It was very close all the way through, and I was speechless for most of it, trying hard to stay focused on the where the puck was going as well as all the other happenings in the audience and showing on the big screen handing right above the middle of the rink. We were behind the goal about 6 rows up, so the view put us right in the action.
     I can't believe how fast paced the game it. There's never a dull moment, and the stick handling of the players is so skillful.  They are passing the puck back, across, around, up, and down the ice like it's completely natural to them to gear up in more pads than any other sport, take a curved stick in their hands and hit a small, round, hard black puck across ice while skating and fighting off other players to keep them away from the puck and your goal.  I was mesmerized, and I have officially caught hockey fever like the rest of Vancouver! As soon as we arrived at our hotel and mentioned going to see hockey, the receptionist started talking about her Canucks, and as soon as we arrived back at the hotel tonight, another receptionist was very excited to tell us about the lazy scoring tactics of the players on the Ottawa team.  After a scary few moments in the 2nd and 3rd periods, the Canucks won by 2, and I couldn't have asked for a more perfect birthday! After such an exciting day, I had to call my boys, and once I heard their sweet voices, I was ready for bed.  Another fun day in Vancouver awaits tomorrow!

February 6, 2011- Puddle Jumping...

     After a fabulous surprise birthday and engagement party last night, it is time to reluctantly leave our family in Oregon and head for colder weather and a few puck and stick shows in Canada.  Our plane did not leave until 2:30 today, but by the time we puddle jumped on three different planes all the way to Vancouver and made it to our classy newly renovated 1913 hotel called the St. Regis, it was after 10 pm.  It was a long day, but lots of fun nonetheless. We started out with lunch accompanied by a Bloody Mary (after all, it is Super Bowl Sunday) at the Wings restaurant in the Eugene airport, then puddle jumped 30 minutes to Portland. Here, I bought a gorgeous light plum colored Columbia full zipper fleece to use for layering along with some cozy gloves, preparing for the "slightly" colder temperature of our final destination while my fiance bought a light, easily "crunchable" black rain jacket to stuff in his bag.  Then, we headed to consume our last Oregon Rogue beer before heading to Seattle, Washington. We tried two brews we had not tried before, the Hazelnut Brown Nectar and the Mocha Porter, both excellent choices as we have found all Rogue ales to be.
     All along the journey today, we stopped at big screen TV's throughout the airports, checking out the Super Bowl stats. I 'm not a huge football fan, but it was fun to see how it brought everyone together to cheer for their team no matter where we were at, relaxing and having a drink and dinner or watching the game while waiting for their flights, everywhere we went, people were stopping to watch or catch up on scores, just like us.
    The second leg of our flight was from Portland to Seattle, and it was another 30 minute puddle jumper when a absolutely fantastic view of the city as we cruised across and to the airport. Checking out the Space Needle and the stadium for the Mariners and Sea hawks at dusk with the lights already on, but enough sunlight still to see details from the plane, we felt very lucky to have the flight schedule we've had the entire trip.  Yes, it's a bit of a pain to have to take three flights to get to Vancouver when we possibly could have driven there faster from our family's home in Oregon, but with a glass half full, I can't help but look for the silver lining, and that would be the marvelous sunsets and views we've seen from the planes. I even told my fiancee that we should just schedule all our flights from now on at dusk to sunset time because it's the ideal time for sightseeing from a plane. :)
     The only drawback to the trip so far has been not having my boys with me.  I always think about how much they would enjoy seeing and being a part of all this.  My oldest said to me on the phone the other night when I told him that I wished he could be here, "Yeah, I wish you could be here, and I could be there too."  Basically, I wish we could be together all the time.  I miss them.  But now, it's time for sleep. It's been a long day, and tomorrow is my 36th birthday to spend in Vancouver however I want. How exciting!  I am so blessed...

February 5, 2011- Luckiest Girl...

     I am the luckiest girl in the world! Today, after a generous tour of the mill where my boyfriend's brother works, we were on the road to Corvallis to have dinner with his other brother and all the rest of the family who were meeting us there around two pm.  We were running late and didn't arrive until almost four, and as I entered and marveled at all the work that had been done in and around the house since my last visit a short six months ago, I noticed balloons all around the living room. I looked a little closer and realized the balloons said Happy Birthday on them, and I started to wonder whose birthday it was, then I noticed one balloon with the words Happy Birthday followed by my name, and the fog in my brain cleared. There were presents on the tables too, and I instantly felt my face reddening. This was not just a family dinner, but also a celebration of my birthday to happen in a couple of days.  We are leaving for Vancouver, Canada tomorrow, so the celebration had to happen tonight if the family was to be involved.  I feel very blessed that my boyfriend's family has welcomed me into their lives so completely, even though they've only been only to spend limited amounts of time with me over three short visits.  I feel totally comfortable being myself with them at all times, and that doesn't always come so easily for me.  I can stand up in front of strangers or even good friends on the island and teach a class or tell a boisterous story to a group of friends and family at a gathering without a moment's hesitation, but when put on the spot or made the center of attention when I am not expecting it, I suddenly become very nervous and shy.  

     As we socialized and our fantastic hosts made a lovely dinner of salmon, baked potatoes, grilled zucchini, a brewer's salad, and a pan of scrumptious sauteed mushrooms, the presents sat on the table in front of me, and I couldn't help but want to shake and feel them. I've done that since I was a little girl, and I've never grown up or tired of it.  My boyfriend politely moved them away from me and informed me that I had to wait, but within 30 minutes, his mom came over and said she thought it was time to open presents.  As my face grew red again amidst so many camera flashes that I was actually seeing spots trying to read the birthday cards, I opened presents containing a new book, cards with lovely sentiments, chap stick (the perfect gift for an island girl in the dry cold weather of Oregon), a lovely set of jewelry with gorgeous brown and green stones (my favorite colors), and finally a gift from my baby.  I opened it up and discovered a fantastic white gold ring with a Alexandrite stone and a diamond chip off to the side.  It was a deep shade of greenish blue in the skylights of the living room, but later in the light of the kitchen, it was purple.  This was way more than I expected as this trip itself had cost my boyfriend quite a pretty penny, and I assumed that was my present for my birthday, which was way more than enough.  As I looked at him and thanked him for the ring, he told me, "You know that this ring is your birthday present, but if you say you'll marry me, then you can have the one behind you."  As I turned in shock, feeling overwhelmed by it all, my boyfriend's dad was holding another green jewelry box just like the first one.  As I opened it, a gorgeous white gold diamond ring glimmered back at me. I was speechless. "Of course you know what my answer is, I said" as I kissed him. Then, we all realized, my now fiance's brother and my future brother in law had sat down right when the proposal started and began playing his guitar. It was absolutely perfect.

     As I said earlier, when put on the spot in an unprepared for situation, I sometimes fall apart, not knowing what to do or how to react.  I wish I had been more poised for this momentous occasion , but this I know, I couldn't find a better man to spend my life with, and I am still amazed that he wants to be with me.  It's not that we hadn't talked about getting married before, and I knew someday it would happen, but I didn't know how or when, and I didn't realize how privileged and honored I would feel when he actually proposed, privileged to become a part of his clan, honored that he would choose me over all the women in the world. He is my sunshine, my laughter in the rain, my knight in shining armor. I really never knew it could be this way, and I am the luckiest girl in the world! What a wonderful way to start a new year in my life, in our lives together.  

February 4, 2011-Antiquing

     "So, where did you go?" my boyfriend asked when I returned to his parents' house this afternoon. "Oh, I went antiquing, of course."  It's been a very long, long time since I have browsed around in an antique store, so after a lovely lunch with my boyfriend's dad and sister in law at the local sub place, Home Town Hero, us girls decided to check out the Albany Antique Mall, a two story building full of someone else's stuff, but which ended up being a trip down memory lane for me. 
     My grandmother loved antiques, and I was one of the few members of the family that enjoyed shopping for them with her.  Even as a young girl, I was always up for a trip to the antique store.  We'd spend an hour or more just looking mostly and only occasionally picking up something that caught our fancy.  In fact, my grandmother even once had an antique store in the front room of her home in Tennessee filled with things she'd found on her shopping trips that she resold to others.  Personally, I think she just loved having antiques around her, whether or not she really cared about selling them I don't know, but I suspect it was just a fun hobby more than anything.  Her home was an antique store in itself, with knick knacks and unique pieces everywhere you looked. The clutter of old things with sentimental value to her made her house feel really homey, but all those things also made it very full, just like the antique store we visited today.
    As we wandered up, down, and all around the store, we discovered a couple of different, but both very beautiful and complete Noritake china sets at very reasonable prices.  I, obviously, couldn't really purchase anything because I am away from home, and I am not going to risk trying to ship something back that is not only fragile, but also an antique, but it was so fun just to "window shop."  Looking at those china sets reminded me of my grandmother's set that was recently packed away for me at my mom's house.  I wish I could see it.  I can't wait to have a home here to put it in and use with family and company just like my grandmother did. We also saw tons of Pyrex glass topped containers in all sorts of colors and patterns, which I remember in both my mom's and grandmother's homes as a child. I wouldn't mind having some of those when I move back to the states too.  The depression glass is always popular too, and there was plenty of that as well, including a red rooster topped butter dish just like some my grandmother used to own. 
     I couldn't believe how much is still the same in antique stores. It seems like years have gone by, and some of the antiques would have changed, but it was all the same things I  remember seeing and marveling at when my grandmother and I used to shop together.  I love that.  I love that antiques and antique stores have not changed. It 's nice to have something constant in this life, something you can depend on like family.  It's been so wonderful to be here as well and see with my own eyes how the family has not changed either and to feel their love and support as always and to feel completely myself. I can be myself here, and I can trust, lean on, and depend on family. Just like antiquing, spending time with family is just as fun and whimsical an experience as it was when I was a kid, and we'd all get together at the grandparent's homes, and it's nice to have some set things and people in your life to provide stability and peace to the ever changing world around us. 

February 3, 2011- Grocery Shopping!

     One of the things us island folk look forward to when visiting the states is shopping at the grocery store.  Believe it or not, going to the stores here is truly overwhelming after just 6 months on the atoll since our last stateside adventure.  We stopped just to get a box of linguini to go with the shrimp dish my boyfriend was making the family for dinner tonight, so as we headed into the store, my sweetheart says, "Okay, now you are going to have to keep me focused when we go into the store."  "Okay," I said very seriously because I knew exactly what he meant.  We walk in and are immediately greeted with a bright array of perfectly ripe and beautiful fruit and vegetable stands, and I head straight for them. "Oooooh, let's get one of these veggie trays for appetizers tonight," I delighted in saying while thinking about how delicious that would taste later.  "Okay," my boyfriend says, "That's a good idea."  So, we continue to meander around the store, without a cart because we only needed to get linguini, and of course, now, the vegetable tray.  As we cruised around, we decided there were a couple of other things we could use for dinner and for ourselves that we didn't bring with us (like chapstick as the dry climate has wrecked havoc on our lips and skin-In fact, my boyfriend's hands were drying out before we even hit the ground stateside, and my lips are terribly cracked already. All this after only 2 days in a different atmosphere-), and finally, we relented and went back to get a cart, or "buggy" as I call it.  Apparently, that's a Southern term for a grocery cart.  Anyway, as we were looking for yogurt to go in the fruit dessert we decided to add to the menu, a store employee asked us if we needed anything, and my darling replies, "No, we are just marveling at all the variety."  That must have sounded strange to her because she lives with that variety in the grocery store every day. Well, we don't have that on the island, so it's hard to pick even one item without wanting to check out each brand and label first.  We are lucky to get a single brand of most necessary items in the one 4 isle grocery store called "Surfway" on the island where I live. My boyfriend's island has only a convenience store with very limited produce, dairy, etc...brought up weekly, if they are lucky, from the grocery store "downtown" as they call the island of Kwajalein. So, a standard size grocery store like Safeway in small town Oregon is huge to us and provides more than we could ever want or ask for.  That's one of the upsides of living on an isolated atoll. You learn to live without things you thought you had to have before, and you learn to really appreciate the little things like ripe strawberries without fuzz on them or fresh vegetables and a variety of them. The perspective you gain from not having everything right at your fingertips all the time is priceless and makes life so much more enjoyable than you ever knew it could be, especially when you are able to return to the life and family you once took for granted. Needless to say, the original plan to stay "focused" on the task at hand at the store, which was to get a box of linguini, failed miserably, but we had such a good time shopping, and we left with a pile of fresh ingredients to enjoy creating and sharing a home cooked meal with family to boot.  Who knew grocery shopping could be so exciting!

February 2, 2011- The 36 Hour Day...

    On February 1, the last time I wrote to you, I was blogging from my own computer inside my home on Kwajalein.  Now, I am sitting at my boyfriend's parents' computer in Oregon looking out the window at the llamas and dogs in the neighbor's yard along with the leafless trees and brown and green landscape of a state in the middle of winter.  On this day on the island, I woke up around 7:30 am and headed into work after getting the kids off to school an hour later.  I worked for approximately 6 hours with a short break for lunch, then headed home to finish packing for our trip. After saying our goodbyes to the boys, we headed for the terminal where we had to check in and wait about 2 hours before boarding the plane. We left Kwajalein at 7 pm February 2nd. After a 7 hour flight to Hawaii arriving at approximately 4:00 in the morning on February 2nd (again), we began living the day over. We waited for airport officials and airline employees to arrive at work and open up, which was around 5 am, then we checked in and and waited yet again for our flight to leave for San Franscisco at 7:45 am.  Another long flight later (5 hours), we touched down in the great state of California, checking out the Golden Gate bridge and looking for Alcatraz as we descended around 2 pm in the afternoon.  After grabbing a bite to eat and a local Anchor Steam brew from the San Franscisco Soup Company, we were off to our final filght of this very long, long day. We took off from California at 5 pm and proceeded to watch a gorgeous sunset all the way along the west coast up to Eugene, Oregon.  The reds and oranges across the Pacific Ocean were absolutely stunning. We timed our flights just right for the views. :-) Arriving in Oregon, we rented our car and picked up our suitcases among numerous "Oregon Ducks" sports teams getting ready to head out for games across the country.  The 45 minute drive to my boyfriend's parent's place was uneventful, and upon arriving, his parents and brother's family were all there to greet us with appetizers and spirits ready to go.  It was so good to finally be there, and we immediately joked how we had arrived just 1 hour after taking off from Kwajalein, 8 pm on Febraury 2nd.  It was a 36 hour day!   

February 1, 2011- The Night Before...

     It’s the night before my boyfriend and I leave for a short change of scenery and a much needed visit with family.  I’ve packed pretty much all the warm clothes I own, which doesn’t even fill an entire medium size duffle type suitcase.  Of course, I had to try everything on and attempt to put at least a few outfits together before packing them up because after 14 years living on an island my wardrobe mostly consists of shorts, very light dresses and skirts, tank tops, and t-shirts.  The few things I have come from the 3-4 trips I’ve taken back to the states in cold weather since I arrived over a decade ago, 2 of which have been in the past three years.  For a while there, I kept trying to buy clothes that could be layered and go either way, but the heat and humidity out here kept reminding me that I couldn’t do that.  Fabrics that are very, very light and flowy are best for here, even sleeveless sweaters made with a summery knit fabric that would be perfect for the Northwest just make you sweat on the island.  So many things I thought would work well here failed miserably, so I am down to 2-3 sweatshirts, 2 long sleeve sweaters, 2 pairs of khaki pants (one casual and one dressy), 2 pairs of jeans (one casual and one dressy), a couple of heavier, long skirts that can be layered, and a few light tops to go underneath all this to get me by. Thank goodness for the Eddie Bauer jacket and scarf I picked up with my boyfriend on my first trip to Oregon in the early spring of 2009. That was my lifesaver then, and I think it will be my lifesaver on this trip too. I have plenty of winter clothes, shoes, etc...back in Alabama in moth balls and company storage since I left to come here. I wonder if any of it will still be in style or even wearable once I do return stateside.
     After trying everything on, which I hate to say has gotten a little tighter since the last time I wore any of it, I threw in all in my bag. Except for tying up the last loose ends at work and at home, I’m ready to go.  I already miss my boys, but it will be a good break for all of us.  I’ve definitely been more easily irritated lately, so the time away will bring the much needed perspective that trips away from the atoll always provide. This time tomorrow, I’ll be on a jet plane headed for Hawaii.  We have a short layover after our red eye flight, and then it’s straight on to the west coast, so you may not hear from me for a day or two until I can make it safely back on the ground and catch some sleep to provide me with enough clarity to blog, but I’m sure I’ll have plenty to tell once I’ve able to catch up with you all again.  God bless!